Jennifer Lopez has been slammed after being paid "$6.3 million" to perform in Dubai despite its anti-gay laws.
On Saturday (February 10), the 54-year-old superstar sparked backlash after attending the launch of the One&Only One Za'abeel hotel, according to The Sun.
The 'Jenny From The Block' songstress donned an elegant black gown for the opening, and apparently pocketed a whopping $6.3 million for her presence, per the outlet.
Lopez took to her Instagram Stories to share a clip from the star-studded party, where she stunned in a striking purple jumpsuit and performed alongside Mark Ronson.
The five-star hotel is located in the United Arab Emirates, which has tough laws against homosexuality, with consensual same-sex sexual activity punishable by imprisonment.
A spokesperson for the singer allegedly told The Sun that Lopez would not be performing at the party yet hours later she took to the stage to sing her hit song 'Get Right.'
Now, the 'Let's Get Loud' musician has been heavily criticized by many fans and critics as she has long been considered an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.
Speaking about the appearance, Gay rights activist Peter Tatche told the outlet: "'It’s very sad that a long-time LGBTQ ally like Jennifer Lopez is prepared to put money before human rights.
"Her performance will collude with the regime’s homophobia, misogyny, and generalized abuse of human rights - that’s not the kind of thing Jennifer Lopez supports. She shouldn’t be going," he continued, adding that the Dubai regime is "using her to project a more liberal image."
"It’s a cynical exercise and it’s shameful that she is going along with it," he concluded.
The backlash doesn't appear to line up with JLo's reputation as in 2014, she was honored with the Vanguard Award by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) for her advocacy of gay rights.
In 2019, Lopez extended a concert invitation to gay teenager Nat Werth after administrators banned him from delivering a valedictorian speech at his graduation after learning he planned to talk about his sexuality.
In addition to this, she opened up about her late gay aunt, Myrza, in a love letter to the LGBTQ community for Billboard magazine's Pride 2017, recalling her childhood moments with Myrza and wanting to be just like her despite not knowing what struggles she was going through.
"I wanted to be just like her. What I didn’t realize was that she was struggling with being gay. At that time, families didn’t sit around a dinner table and talk about tolerance and acceptance," she wrote. "Life was different and it is heartbreaking for me to think about it now. The people she watched on TV didn’t represent her. Movies didn’t represent her. She thought she was alone.
"Myzra isn’t with us anymore, but I like to think she is proudly looking down on me from above — the way I always looked up to her," she concluded.
This isn't the first time the 'On The Floor' star has performed in Dubai as back in March 2014, she held a concert during the Dubai World Cup at the Meydan Racecourse.
"Thank you Dubai for an amazing night #Meydan #DWC14," she shared on X (formerly Twitter) after the show.
